Under Your Skin
by Madd13
Summary: They've been at it for years, getting under each other's skin. Now, they've finally had enough. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Title : **Under Your Skin

**Author : **Madd13

**Rating : **M for later chapters

**Disclaimer : **All credit to DC Comics to the creation of all characters involved.

**Summery :** They've been at it for years, getting under each other's skin. They've finally had enough.

"Calm down, big guy. When have I ever messed with you?" The Cat asked, taking slow steps backwards. The only thing keeping her safe right now was the bear in her hands. Her claws were out but she wasn't digging them into the stuffed animal. Yet. She would be dead faster than she could say teddy bear if she actually hurt the ball of fluff. She didn't understand why Bane left it just laying about. If it was really that special to him, one would think he would keep it tucked somewhere safe.

The giant of a man continued to move forward. "You are messing with me now," He pointed out. Excellent argument. Catwoman was in Bane's house, rooting through his things. "I'm doing this as a favor for someone. He didn't tell me who's place I was breaking into." The wall was only feet behind her. She would have to find a different way out of here. Maybe appealing to his intellect would appease him enough. He was smart enough to see her logic.

"Come on, Bane. You're the man who broke the Bat. I can fight him to a stand still, sure, but Big B is still twice my size. If you can break him, you could kill me," She stated, still holding the bear out in front of her like a shield. Her words did make Bane pause. He was considering her position now. "You know I'm a survivor first and foremost. If you were me, would you really try going up against you?" Ah, and the real reason why she would never think to pit herself against someone easily four times her size. He was a big man all on his own. His natural physique was more than enough to put her down.

If he went back on Venom then she was little more than a bug to him. Was he beatable? Probably. Was she going to test that? Hell no!

Bane was working through her reasoning, really thinking over what he knew of her and their situation now. "You are correct. You are no match for me physically. It would, indeed, be unwise for you to try me. Tell me, who sent you and what for?" He asked. The anger from his face was slowly ebbing away, but Selina could tell he was still irritated that she had his bear. "Don't you worry about him, Jolly Green. I'll take care of this one," She growled. Oh, how this guy was going to get a beating for sending her here.

Slowly, gently, Catwoman leaned down and carefully placed Osito on the floor. She eased away from the bear then took off for the nearest window to jump out of. She hurriedly made her way back into the city and toward her new target. He was so dead meat.

/

Noah was in the hospital. He was being treated for a few broken fingers and a broken nose. The nose was easy to work around. Calculator's tinkering was going to be on hold for a little while though. It was hard to work on computers with all that bandaging getting in the way. Selina smirked at the thought. Now he was going to owe her big time. Sending her for some random items in Bane's house came with a big ticket price. As far as she was concerned, the things Noah had wanted were barely better than baubles. He could make reproductions of the "artifacts" and done what he needed with those.

She tsked as she wandering down an aisle frowning at all the stuffed animals staring at her. Maybe it was because she had never had one as a child, but these things creeped her out. Still, she felt almost obligated to buy one. She was hoping that this little peace offering would keep Bane off her tail. He might have seen her reasoning, but breaking into his home was still disrespectful. Something like that, anyway. He would be the type to get his feathers ruffled for such a small infraction. At least she didn't actually take anything.

A sharp tap behind her drew her attention away from the shelves. Selina turned and immediately regretted it. "Is there a child in your life I am unaware of? May I meet the little squirt?" Edward asked with an annoying smile. The raven haired woman scowled as she spoke, "There's no kid and you wouldn't be allowed near it if there was. What are you doing here?" She would say he probably followed her, but this was the first time in a few months that she had seen him.

In fact, Edward had been rather silent around the city for some time. She knew he had been laying low while trying to accustom himself to his new reformed life. However, he just had a loud personality so it seemed odd that no one had really heard from him. Ozzie had been oddly put off by this. The Penguin had always been a strange bird though so it seemed reasonable that these two flocked together.

The auburn haired man waved off the question. "Everyone needs to do a little shopping now and then. As an upstanding citizen of this crime-ridden city I am entitled to purchase things," He answered. Despite the mildly harsh tone he received, the former criminal master mind brushed it off. He was all too used to those around him being a little less than friendly. Okay, a lot less than friendly. In fact, this was down right amiable on his scale. If he thought such encounters counted for anything, this would be a big old win.

That had nothing to do with the mystery of why Selina Kyle, a woman with no children in her life, was looking at stuffed animals. The woman in question grabbed a bear with a pink bow around its neck. "Stop staring at me," She hissed, uncomfortable with the scrutiny and disliking that she was doing this for Bane. It was to try and cover her ass, but it still didn't sit right with her. As she walked forward, Edward lightly grabbed her arm.

"Do you need something to cuddle in the middle of the night?" He whispered, leaning in close. "I can think of something better." The expression on his face suggested that he was the thing that could replace the teddy bear. She shoved him away, disgusted at his overture. "Actually, if you want to replace the teddy bear, I'll tell Bane that you'll be Osito's wife." That seductive look on Edward's face vanished and he paled. Like Selina, he was a survivalist and his thought process mirrored her own when it came to Bane. The master mind could probably think circles around Bane, but there were few that he could physically fight. He was a scrapper at best and he had to run sooner rather than later.

He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Well, perhaps I shall just accompany you around the store. Wouldn't want any hooligans pestering such a lovely lady," He amended, feigning being a gentleman. If he really tried, he probably could, but Selina knew better. Edward could be hard to intimidate but Bane just had that effect on people. Oddly, his obsession with his teddy bear didn't detract from the fact that he could break their bones with one hand.

The feline fatale rolled her eyes and tried to hurry off. They both knew that she could handle "hooligans" better than he could. Still, Edward was hard to shake off and he easily caught up with her with his long gait. Selina was unaware that this meeting was all circumstance. He was trying to shake someone himself, and ducked in here. Now that he had her at his side, he was going to use her as a shield if need be. He would enjoy the change until he gained a new set of scratches or they were able to part without him getting ambushed.

Green eyes drifted to the sassy woman. "What happened with Bane?" He asked quietly, knowing that if he was too pushy she would just clam up. Catwoman was a tough nut to crack in general, but thankfully he was still able to read her at least a little. That had to be one of the more attractive qualities about her; Selina could still be such a mystery. His question did earn him a frown though. "A misunderstanding. Peace offering," She answered, holding up the bear. Well, that did answer his questions. Now he understood why she had been looking at the stuffed animals.

He really wanted to know what this misunderstanding was, but that would be pushing his luck. Since he still needed his shield he couldn't question her more about it. Some other time then. He contented himself with watching those around them wander to and fro, going about their business. It was difficult for him to settle into such normalcy. He really didn't see the point in trying to be a typical person after so many years of being something so far above ordinary.

The pair stepped up to a line, both ready to leave. Edward, the reckless and daring person that he was, pressed against Selina. His arms went around her waist. For the barest of moments, normal wouldn't have seemed so bad if this would have been part of his daily life. The low growl coming from the woman he was curled around was the first thing that put a little fear in him. She might not have her claws, but Selina was certainly capable of drawing blood.

The second thing that actually made him let go was the shrill voice behind them. "Mister N?" The blond calling for Edward was turned away from them as the puzzle master glanced to see where he was. "Sorry, my cute kitten. Really must dash," He whispered, his hands lightly sliding over her hips as he hurried away. The Cat was mildly dumbfounded. That had been one of the more abrupt exits from Nygma that she had seen. Well, now she knew how to sent him running.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title : **Under Your Skin

**Author : **Madd13

**Rating : **M for later chapters

**Disclaimer : **All credit to DC Comics to the creation of all characters involved.

**Summery :** They've been at it for years, getting under each other's skin. They've finally had enough.

Edward frowned, trying his best to balance the stack of books properly. Physics was not a difficult subject for the brilliant man, but these books just seemed to have minds of their own. Now, sure he could have browsed for these books online or sent someone to fetch them, but this was better in his opinion. He loved the smell of books and being able to discover little gems hidden among the shelves. This was how one was meant to buy books. It was sad that technology was trying to do away with the hardcover and paperback beauties that surrounded him now.

With a determined expression, he tried once more to pick the pile up without having it tip to either side. Success! He gave a small smile at his triumph and took one step to head to the check out line. The day was going to go swimmingly now that he had a couple of cases for his newly formed private eye business and all these books to keep his mind occupied. Two steps and he his heart was almost light with the anticipation of such interesting reads.

Three steps. "Mister N!" The books went tumbling to the floor. Edward stood there, cringing as he waited for Deidre to jump on him. Nothing happened other than a sly laugh behind him. He turned slowly to see who was snickering at him. Of course, Selina Kyle had found one of his biggest irritants. Query and Echo had been fine accomplices from time to time, but he had outgrown them. They were more reckless than was wise and they had grown tiresome. While Deidre was good at puzzles, her over excitable personality was too much. She was almost like his version of Harley Quinn.

Pass.

He sighed, shoulders relaxing as he frowned at the raven haired woman. "Was that necessary?" He asked, bending down to begin his pile once more. Selina walked over, leaning down as well. "Yes. Consider it pay back for touching me." Him holding her in line had been unwanted and unacceptable. This bit of pay back was small comfort for the hours of discomfort he had caused her that day. Even going on the prowl until dawn hadn't pushed the feeling from her mind. She still got the willies when she thought about it.

Yet somehow that mean streak didn't last. She began picking books up off the floor and propping them on her hip. "What are you doing back out in public?" She questioned, raising a brow down at the auburn haired man. While he had been in that shop the a couple of weeks ago, he had been trying to hide from someone. He could still trying to be dodge them, but this seemed more like leisure than trying to duck people.

He let out an irritated sigh, eyeing the books she had taken hostage. "I prefer to peruse the shelves in person. I find this a better way to add to my collection than allowing some algorithm to select my reading choices for me." He stood, attempting to straighten his jacket with one hand and holding tight the remaining books he had picked up from the floor. While this had been a relaxing activity that had killed time, now he was tense and eager to get on his way.

"You know, I have this case on my desk. Very fishy," He commented, starting once again for the line. Selina furrowed her brow a little, tilting her head inquisitively. Edward continued, "Some valuables have gone missing. The couple's cat has turned almost violent toward them. The husband also swears he saw a large cat running across his yard." The Cat's expression went blank. She had recently looted from a large home with a cat. She didn't think anyone had caught sight of her though.

Verdant eyes drifted to the tall man. "Don't take the case, Nygma. You won't like where it leads you." The words were laced with venom and warning. Edward would truly be wise not to try and push for a break on that case. He would get his ass handed to him and he knew it. He watched as the books she held were shifted. He gladly freed himself to take them as they were placed on the pile he had. Well, if he had known that was how he got his things back, he would have said all that sooner. He grinned down at his books then watched Selina walked away. Grumpy as she was with him now, she did have a very nice walk.

/

Three nights after seeing Edward at the book store, Selina was out and about again. She had laid low just in case the brunette thought to actually work on the case and try to bring her in. So far, she had no trouble. She could only guess that Edward thought his life a little more important that giving his clients closure. Or, perhaps he had told them that Catwoman did it and there was nothing to be done about it. After all, Catwoman had been at large for years and never been caught.

That would be a fine solution to end his case and keep all his body parts in place. Accepting that as the smartest course of action, she returned to Gotham Heights. She thought she could do better this time around. She was being a good deal more careful, moving closer to shrubbery and trees to better disguise her movement. She wasn't the only one prowling the night. No, it wasn't Batman. He was busy facing off against Two-Face on the other side of the city. Someone much more annoying had decided to drop in.

As she neared her target of an electrical box placed on the outside of a fine looking home, something hooked her ankle and brought her down. She rolled over to see who her attacker was and only caught the glimpse of gold that hit her cheek. Catwoman was stunned. Not only in the sense that she was now disoriented from the blow, but someone had snuck up on her that wasn't Batman. How could that be? No one was better at stealth than the two of them.

For the most part she was right. Edward Nygma was not known for sneaking about in the shadows and going unnoticed. He liked to announce his presence more times than not but he knew that he could be just as quiet and go unseen. He was a genius and could figure out how to avoid detection. It was his damn riddles and clues that always got in his way. He was working very hard on keeping his OCD under control. He had made it this far tailing the Cat without a single incident. There was hope for him yet.

"Twice in one week, Selina? I don't think that very wise," He sneered, standing over the leather clad woman. He gave a low tsk and shook his head. "I was able to convince my clients there was nothing more to do than file an insurance claim, but I don't think others would be very satisfied with that answer." Well, at least she had thought correctly. She had been right that he had been smart enough to know there was nothing he could do about her first heist. However, he was showing that he could catch her and that wasn't sitting well with her.

Catwoman propped herself up on her elbows, staring up at Edward. "What are you going to do now? Try to take me in? That's never worked before," She snapped, glaring up at the egotistical man. He gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "I have no illusions that I could do that on my own. However, you get a pass this once. The next time a client comes to me from this neighborhood, I will employ help in apprehending you. I am working on the 'right' side of the law these days." He laughed again, as if finding the fact that he was working with the police amusing. It was extremely amusing, actually, since he had spent most of his adult life running away from them.

As he chuckled to himself, Selina pulled a leg up to her chest and kicked at his leg. Her heel connected with his knee and he came crumbling down beside her. "That was for hitting me with your cane," She snapped, glaring at him as he cursed in pain. It served him right catching her across the face. She could feel that it was going to bruise and she didn't appreciate that. "At least that damn cane has a purpose other than shoving it up your ass." She rolled away so she could get to her feet.

She was just close enough to touch. Edward reached out, hand lightly brushing over her leg. "Don't think I won't retaliate for this. I gave you a free pass and you thank me by dislocating my knee. Not smart," He growled. Catwoman waved him off, shaking her head. "You threatened me, Eddie. You know I don't take well to those. Feel lucky that I'm not giving you a proper beating." Turning on her heel, heist now abandoned, she walked away. The fact that The Riddler had been able to sneak up on her, take her down, and had let her know he was just being nice had rubbed her the wrong way.

She was going to have to start stalking him now. He was her next target and he will not be happy with what she'll end up doing to his place. Unless forced, she was never one to bother people while robbing them. It tended to make the looting a little more difficult if they were awake and well aware of what was going on. It was so much easier to get in and get out without detection. Edward was lucky she planned on extended such courtesy to him.

He wouldn't see it that way. His own mind was working on how best to make the Cat squirm. They were both hurting and had threatened each other. They should be even. However, neither of them forgot that easily and always had to be at least one up on everyone else. This was going to be one of the quietest power struggles Gotham would see.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title : **Under Your Skin

**Author : **Madd13

**Rating : **M for later chapters

**Disclaimer : **All credit to DC Comics to the creation of all characters involved.

**Summery :** They've been at it for years, getting under each other's skin. They've finally had enough.

Three weeks had passed since Edward had seen Selina. He had been looking for traces of her everywhere. It was partly because he was looking for an opportunity to humiliate her again. He knew she wouldn't be able to shallow the fact that he could catch her. He did have a hard time getting a good read on the woman, but he prided himself on being able to work out the plans of the other Rogues. Some were easier than others and Selina had a very simple plan compared to everyone else. She just wanted to steal shit.

For as simple as that was, it meant that he had to work on where she would be next. Not only that, but she had gone long stints without stealing at all. That made it harder. Given that he hadn't seen or heard anything from her for weeks now, she might be taking one of her little breaks. He didn't find it likely, but he was hard pressed to get even the smallest bit of evidence her tail had even been glimpsed. It worried him.

He stepped out of his home, glancing around suspiciously. Nope, no sign of some lurking shadow. He let out a small sigh, trying to tell the nerves in his stomach that something bad wasn't going to happen tonight. His cane tapped as he walked to his car. The feline had been right. Now his cane had a purpose other than being a weapon and decoration. His knee was still a little on the shaky side since he couldn't condone bed rest for more than a night. His cane now gave him the stability that his knee couldn't ascertain for another couple of weeks if he continued using it the way he did.

Easing into his car, the genius pulled away, ready to start his night's work at the Iceberg Lounge. Nothing like a good drink to kick things off right. A figure peeked over the edge as Edward drove away. Catwoman waited two full minutes before dropping onto the ground and walking around the building he called home. She wanted to be sure he was leaving for good and she had to find the perfect spot to break in. The front door was out as he was smart enough to have more locks than necessary. Just the sight of so many deterrents would send most would be thieves scurrying onto the next place.

She, however, was Gotham's best. She could break into any home she chose with enough time and information. The leather bound woman felt that she had plenty of both considering she had been tailing him for three weeks. Clearly her absence had unnerved him. She had noticed how he looked around before actually go on his way. It pleased her to know that being invisible could put a wrinkle in his attitude. She allowed herself a little chuckle as she continued around.

The windows seemed to obvious and she didn't think there would be an easy back door to get through. So, what could the cat use to get inside? Why an air vent, of course. It was perhaps one of the worst ways to sneak into a place, but one of the least thought about. Sure, all the biggest companies might try to secure them better than most, but who honestly thought of a ventilation system? Most would assume the ducts were too small for humans to fit through and movies purposely made them look bigger for the illusion that they could be used.

Sadly, everyone was mistaken for this bit of "Hollywood magic." Cats could fit their bodies into the strangest of places and she wasn't all that different from real felines. Scaling the outside wall, Selina made quick work of the grate and let it fall noisily to the ground. Edward wasn't around and in this part of the city, no one would pay attention to the noise. She crawled through the ducts, looking through each grate that led to a room until she found an interesting one. It was all of mild interest since it looked so much nicer than the outside of the building suggested, but that's what good money got you.

Catwoman had put a lot of thought into what she was going to do here. Like her, Edward Nygma would not be so stupid as to keep many stolen valuables in close proximity to himself. He would want to keep it secret, keep it safe. It was either fenced, or put away in an unknown location. That meant that she had plans to mess with and his everyday life to much about in. While not the brilliance of one of her typical night's out, this was going to upset and bother him to high heaven upon returning home.

She hummed to herself as she wandered through his home. He might not be a criminal anymore, but he had chosen a large, dilapidated building and renovated the inside to be livable. It was your typical hideout for one of their breed and sure to throw off any and all pursuers. Surely that had been what he had been after since he didn't want to be beaten for past discretions. Clearly something of the Riddler still lived inside him. Now that he was "reformed" and walking the straight and narrow, he wasn't giving out puzzles for his crimes. His OCD had to be redirected since it was impossible to get rid of.

He would be obsessing that everything be in its place, perched perfectly in their designated homes. She grinned, beginning to redecorate his lovely home. Books were put out of order, special little knick knacks and artifacts were switched around or put down improperly. Oh, how he was going to freak out. The kitchen was similarly disturbed, every cabinet switched to hold something else. Actually, she changed it to mirror her own kitchen since it was already laid out like hers. Interesting coincidence.

She took to wandering once more, leaving the bathroom undisturbed. The bedroom was her next stop, a forbidden territory she never thought she would enter. She hadn't given it much thought before, but now that she was here, she was a good deal more careful than she consciously thought. Selina did think it only fair to invade such sanctuary since he had snuck into her room once upon a time. He learned not to do it again.

Still, he needed to be repaid for that. At least she was kind enough not to poison him with fear toxin. No, she was just going to messy his drawers and closet. He would have hours of work ahead to repair all the damage she was doing. Then a thought crossed her mind as she gazed at the suits hanging neatly in a row. Oh, how fitting. With a sly smirk, she pulled several articles from the hangers and searched for the last few pieces that she needed. Within minutes she was properly suited up and returned to the living room to face the front door.

It was hours that she had to wait. She actually look a catnap on the couch, watched a little television until she heard a car out front. Hurriedly, she set the scene in the darkness.

Edward rubbed his eyes as he tried to fend off an oncoming headache. It wasn't that there was anything difficult and grating on his mind, but rather the simplicity and annoyance of stupidity that kept floating across his desk. How was he supposed to focus on work when there was nothing challenging coming his way? He heaved a sigh and opened his door. The light from outside filtered in and caught the shine of his cane. Not the one in his hand but the one standing on its own in the middle of the floor.

He quickly flicked on the light and lit the figure sitting in his favorite chair. A quick cursory glance around let him now that there was so very many things wrong here. It was only the fact that there was another Riddler in his home that kept his attention focused. He stared for a moment, quietly taking in the individual that had so cleverly invaded his home. He knew exactly who it was. The fact that she was in here at all was the biggest clue that Selina Kyle broke in.

The second clue was how poorly his suit sat on her frame. She had nothing on his six foot frame so everything looked big, like she was wearing daddy's clothes. Lastly, this harkened back to when he had tried on her catsuit. She had nothing on his six foot frame and that leather did not give. If she hadn't been fucking about with his things, he might have smiled at the feline fatale. As it was, he could do nothing but frown at her. It did so detract from his words.

"This isn't quite what I had in mind when thinking of you in my shirt," He started, hanging the bowler on his own head on the coat rack beside the door. "Certainly not what I would mean by you getting in my pants." Selina knew that Edward could be a damn lech, but she forgot from time to time how straight forward he could be about it. One would think he learned not to be crass in front of her. There had been a fair few times in which he had gotten scratched for such comments.

She only made a displeased sound at him this time, getting to her feet. "What, you doing think I look good? I thought I pulled this off quite well," She commented back, brushing off the front of the jacket. "Well, if this displeases you so…" The thief let the sentence fade off, laying the can and hat carefully on the chair. The jacket was next to be discarded followed by the tie. Careful fingers began to unbutton the shirt, making Edward think that she would really have the brass to undress in front of him.

His eyes widened, shocked. Brilliant as he was, he was still a man. He had always appreciated Selina's form both in and out of the catsuit. He still had to prove himself classy, doing everything he could to keep his gaze on her face rather than on what those nimble hands were doing. He needn't worry though, she turned just as she was about to get to the good part and walked away toward the bedroom.

Edward Nygma was left speechless, making a strangled sound and uncertain how the felt about Selina sans clothes in his bedroom. Generally, he would like this scenario very much. He would like to be with her in a similar state of dress. On this particular occasion, however, he was conflicted. Catwoman, every man's wet dream, had broken into his home which he had thought no one knew about. Strike one. She had kicked his OCD into overdrive by messing with all of his things. Strike two. She had taunted him by staying here, dressed in his suit, then started to disrobe in front of him and hadn't the courtesy of inviting him to see the rest of the show!

She had to leave.

Edward didn't mind Selina's company for the most part but he had to clean his place up. He wouldn't be able to rest, relax, or even enjoy what banter she could bring to the table until everything was right once more. He waited stiffly for her to saunter back out and leave. The feline took her sweet old time, agitating him further.

Finally, she emerged, back in her dominatrix best. "I guess I'll see ya around Eddie. Maybe I'll drop in again sometime soon," She purred, running a hand lightly from his chest, over his shoulder, and down his back. This time she took the front door, disappearing into the night and leaving Edward to begin frantically running around to fix the massive mess she left behind.


End file.
